Window-blietd



October 21, 1915.

DRAWING A careful Search has been made thie day for the original drawingor a photolithographic copy of the same for the purpose of reproducingthe said drawing to'foi'ox a. part of this book, but at this timenothing cen be found from which a reproduction can be made.

Finis D. Morris,

Chief of Division E.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBENR. GATE, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WINDOW-BLIND.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 5,108, dated May 8, 1847.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EBENEZER GATE, of Boston,in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Folding Shutters or Blinds for Store-Fronts,Windows, &c.; and I do hereby declare. that the same is fully describedand represented in the following specification and accompanyingdrawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.

By my invention the folding shutter is not only made to answer thepurpose of efiectually closing the window and excluding light, theives,etc., but may be used or opened to admit air or light, in a mannersimilar to that in which a Venetian blind is usually opened.

Of the aforementioned drawings Figure 1 represents a front view of myimproved window shutter and the window frame to which it is adapted.Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section.Fig. l is a vertical and central section representing the slats asclosed down upon one another. Fig. 5 is a similar section exhibitingthem as opened like those of a Venetian blind. Fig. 6 represents a frontview of a few of the slats and portions of their two side chains orhinged plates. Fig. 7 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 8 is an endelevation of the same, exhibiting the slats as opened apart. Fig. 9denotes a side elevation of the wooden frame and apparatus for raisingand lowering the blind. Fig. 10 is a view of one of the slats asseparate from its side chains.

In said figures A denotes the window frame; B, B, B, &c., the series ofslats, made of thin strips of metal or other proper material. Each ofsaid slats, has two journals a, a, projecting from its ends as seen inFig. 10. Each of the said journals, passes into, and turns and issupported in a bearing Z) made upon the rear side of one of two squareor other proper shaped plates of metal 0, 0, each of said plates ,0being of a width or length vertically equal to the width of its slats.The plates 0, 0, of each slat are respectively hinged or jointed tothose 'of'the two slats, immediately adjacent to it, or above and belowit, as seen at cl, 0?, &c. Each plate 0 may have a semicircular or otherproper shaped projection 6, Mixed or made upon it, and so as to extendfrom, and at right angles to its rear side. The several plates andslats, when combined together, are applied to the windowframein suchmanner that the hinge plates, areinserted and travel freely up and downin grooves f, f,

made in the window frame, as seen in sec- .tlon 1n Fig. 3.

These are small vertical grooves g 9 made respectively at right anglesto the grooves f f as seen in Fig. '3. The projections ea, &c.,' move inthe said grooves g, g.

The several slats are connected together in their middle parts, or atother proper places, by hinged plates or links h, h, each of said platesor links being hinged at its top to or near the upper edge of one of theslats B, and at its bottom to the upper edge of the blind slat B,immediately below the one first mentioned, as seen in the drawings. Theblind so made is suspended to a horizontal barrel or shaft D-by chains2' is Z the central chain is being jointed to a bent spirng m whichextends around, and is attached to the shaft D, as seen in Fig. l. Thesaid shaft rotates in bearings at E E and has a cogged wheel n fixedonone end of it. Into the said cogged wheel, a worm or screw 0 fixed upona vertical shaft ;0 works. The

said shaft is rotated by two bevel gears 9,13 and a crank shaft 8,arranged together as seen in the drawings. On the lower slat B of theblind or any convenient one above it,

I attach or fix or hinge a bent piece of metal tion, so as todraw uponthe blind. By relieving the blind of .such forces thesuperim' cumbentweight of those parts of the several slat-s, which project beyond theiraxes of motion, will cause them to turn in their bearings, and closedown uponone another as seen in Fig. 4. By inspection of Fig. 10 it willbe seen that the journals of the slat therein delineated are not placedin a line passing longitudinally through the center of the slat, but aredisposed, so that there may bemore weight of slat, on one side of them,than on the other. When arranged in the side bearing plates, this extraweight causes the slat to fall nearly into a vertical I position or soas to lap over the slat below it. There may be other modesof causing theslats to .close down upon one another. I intend to avail myself of anysuitablejto the purpose. The length of each of the several slats, shouldbe somewhat or a little less, than the width ofthe opening of the windowframe, as seen in the drawingsin order that they may turn freely intheir bearings without obstruction. By turning the crank shaft 8 in aproper direction the whole blind may be gradually wound upon theWindlass barrel or shaft D. By reversing the motion of the crank shaft,the blind may be unwound and lowered down.

What I claim as may invention is The two hinged chain bearing and guideplates, in combination with each slat of the blind, having journals asdescribed, the said plates being conjoined and made to move in groovesin the window frame and applied to the slat, and operated in allrespects substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature this first day ofFebruary, A. D. 1847.

iEBENEZER GATE.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, S. N. WALDRON, Jr.

